Wayne Slater of the DMN tips us off on a story involving a TABC regulator soliciting donations from it's vendors for Governor 39% Perry's campaign.
TABC Chairman Jose Cuevas sent letters to restaurant owners in an effort to raise $1000 and $5000 donations for an Austin fundraiser for Rick Perry. It should be noted he did this on his own personal email, and did not identify himself by title.
This does not break any current law, however it is a conflict of interest. The pay to play system is still alive and well in Texas. Someone in a position of power of regulation and licensing should not be soliciting his/her licensees. We are not accusing Mr. Cuevas of any violation of law, but it is a business ethics issue.
In turn, we are well aware individuals and PACs of many Texas businesses donate to politicians in hope they get better treatment, be it via personal relationships, business deals, or better legislation. A key example would be the $1.2 million Perry has received from the major alcohol distributors and the Texas Restaurant Association. So it does go both ways. It should also be noted that Perry's 1990 campaign against Jim Hightower for Agriculture Commissioner denounced this very same practice when a regulator solicited on behalf of Hightower.
The TABC has a history of bias towards certain establishments, so it makes it all the more sketchy. Relationships between regulation employees, business owners, and politicians may be fine to maintain. But if you are the person in direct control over whether or not someone can operate, that line becomes blurred and becomes inappropriate.
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